LOGAN, Utah  Three thoughts on San Diego State’s 74-69 overtime win at Utah State that could push the No. 7 Aztecs higher to sixth or even fifth when the new polls are released Monday morning.

1. Riding Hurd: The best student section in the Mountain West no longer belongs to San Diego State, or New Mexico or Colorado State or UNLV or any of the old guard. It’s Utah State, no contest.

There have been rumblings this season about “The Hurd” students losing their fastball, but the 4,000-strong Mountain West newcomers flat brought it Saturday. They were loud. They were organized. They were creative. They were relentless. They were venomous. They were infectious.

“My first trip in here: incredible atmosphere,” Coach Steve Fisher said. “This is an atmosphere that everyone in America should witness. I was immensely impressed how they stayed engaged and involved, and without question it helps their team. It’s a big reason why they win about 90 percent of their games here.”

It wasn’t a good thing for the Aztecs on Saturday night; they nearly lost. When Spencer Butterfield drained a desperation 3 to force overtime, the 10,270-seat Dee Glen Smith Spectrum hit decibel peaks last heard three years ago at BYU’s Marriottt Center (which is twice the size) when Jimmer Fredettte was dropping 43 on a 20-0 SDSU team.

But this is a good thing for the Aztecs long term, if for no other reason than it might get The Show – which, let’s be honest, is slipping – to return to 2010-11 levels. Just as The Show’s emergence prompted the New Mexico, Colorado State and UNLV students to improve their game, The Hurd just might be the cattle prod the SDSU students need.

2. Lock and trail: The player from last season’s team SDSU missed most Saturday: James Rahon.

He came into college known for his shooting and left as the conference’s best lock-and-trail defender, able to chase opposing shooters over and around staggered baseline screens with little separation. It is the one vulnerability in SDSU’s otherwise airtight defense this season – the one concession to having a bigger, longer team – and it was exposed by Utah State, which went 9 of 18 behind the arc (7 of 11 in the second half and OT).

“They’re a hard team to stay right in their footsteps, even though you say you can do it,” Fisher said. “Once or twice you can do it, and all of a sudden one guy breaks loose and they make you pay.”

Fisher took out 6-foot-8 starter Winston Shepard when he got his fourth foul with 5:57 to go in regulation and put in the smaller, quicker Aqeel Quinn. The plan, Fisher said, was to return Shepard to the game a few minutes later, but Quinn was moving his feet and chasing shooters so well that “we just rode him.” Shepard remained on the bench until 59 seconds left in overtime.

It won’t be the last time the Aztecs see shooters running off baseline screens. They still have to play again against Utah State and Fresno State, which did it to some effect earlier this month at Viejas Arena. And they still have two games against New Mexico, which is notorious for having reigning MW player of the year Kendall Williams rub off beefy posts setting (moving) screens on either block.

3. X: The final 3½ minutes of regulation and the ensuing overtime should be required viewing for members of the Wooden Award committee that didn’t deem Xavier Thames among the nation’s best 25 players.

Here’s a breakdown of what Thames did in less than eight minutes, accounting for all 17 of SDSU’s points:

Regulation: Driving assist to Josh Davis that tied it at 52. Free throw to give SDSU its first lead since the 12-minute mark. Blocked shot at 6-3. Another driving assist to Davis on the screen and roll. Two free throws. Somehow caught a full-court pass in a tangle of taller players and nearly made a 12-footer at the buzzer to win it.

Overtime: Driving assist to Skylar Spencer for a dunk. Steal. Layup. Pull-up jumper. Deep, contested 3 as the shot clock expired to put SDSU up four with 51 seconds left. Forced a turnover. Free throw to put SDSU up five.

His 31 points were a career high. More impressive was what he did in the second half and OT: 23 points, 7 of 11 shooting, 3 of 5 behind the arc, 6 of 8 at the line, four assists, three steals. In all, he played 39 minutes. Turnovers: zero.